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260712 Middle-east post 13
Keeping in mind Joel’s picture of the end-times “day of the Lord”, we can see that much world decision-making will not be of man but according to God’s sovereign will. Add to this Ezekiel’s prophecy (Ch.38) that in the end-times war that triggers WW3 culminating in Armageddon, Israel’s enemies will be drawn by hooks in their jaws (Ezekiel 38:4) to go to battle and invade Israel; they will not have a choice at all; they won’t be able to choose to not invade Israel! Prophecy says that certain countries (Persia, Turkey, Russia, Libya, Ethiopia etc) will be made to attack and invade Israel and then be utterly destroyed once they invade. Effectively, God is causing these nations to attack Israel in order that they would be destroyed, and to bring the antichrist into the picture when he comes to “save” Israel. All Israel’s enemies will be drawn into a huge war arena which ultimately culminates in Armageddon where all Israel’s enemies will be totally wiped out. In these end-times, God will draw Israel’s (and therefore His) enemies into battle to be destroyed; this is His end-times day of the Lord judgement. All who oppose Israel will be forced into battle to receive their judgement. After Armageddon, Christ the Messiah (who has returned to genuinely save His people Israel) will set up His millennial reign of peace and prosperity.
Zechariah 12:2-3 – 2Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem. 3And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it.
Zechariah 14:2-3 – 2For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city. 3Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle.
Zechariah 14:12 – And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.
Revelation 14:19-20 – 19And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. 20And the winepress was trodden without the city (that is, outside Jerusalem), and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.
We hear a lot about peace agreements and negotiations between USA and Iran (Israel has been denied any part in these discussions). Not one of these “discussions” will amount to anything else other than what God wills to happen. They can talk endlessly but what will happen is what God has already decided will happen! Satan’s servants, to use Joel’s locust analogy, are now God’s army, made to use the evil satan has taught them, in order to turn His people back to God, and to judge the world in righteousness.
260712 Middle-east post 12
Joel gives us an interesting biblical aspect of these end-times. He uses the term “day of the Lord” 5 times in just 3 chapters (Joel 1:15; 2:1; 2:11; 2:31; 3:14). The term always applies to times when God overrules man’s dominion in order to establish His sovereign will. It often refers to the end-times (which we may be in the early stages of now). In Genesis 1:26 God gave man dominion over the earth and everything in it. This effectively shut satan out of any direct control of the earth, requiring satan to have to work through the control of mankind in order to gain a de facto dominion (but not the real thing!). Likewise, God has permitted man some freedom of will necessary for effective dominion, and has chosen to generally not overrule man. God does at times overrule man’s dominion. When He does so, it’s often what insurance companies would call an “act of God”! God overruled man by sending Noah’s flood to cut their dominion short. But in general God does stay out of man’s dominion decisions (which often simply prove man’s stupidity!). Satan has to work through mankind to have a de facto dominion on earth, and God works through His people (today being the Church, soon to be replaced by Israel once more).
While Joel almost 3000 years ago was initially writing about the events of his day (locust plagues, famine, etc), it is clear that he was actually painting a picture of what it would be like in the last days of this earth including Armageddon and after. His use of the “day of the Lord” indicates that in the end-times God will overrule man’s decision-making dominion on earth in order to establish His will that will ultimately lead to the redemption and everlasting righteousness of His people Israel. The locusts of Joel’s day represented God’s judgement on His people; God called them “His army”, and the people were unable to stop them or even turn them aside at all. They would oppress God’s people until they repented of their sins and turned back to God. Then and only then would the locusts be turned aside and destroyed.
Today those in positions of authority are there by God will, as also for every person who will play a part in the end-times. Satan no longer will have the de facto dominion he has enjoyed for so long. His faithful servants are largely controlled instead by God. Joel pictures them as no longer under satan’s control; they are effectively God’s army of judgement, for His people, and also for the whole world itself. In the end-times God will not lose control; instead He will vastly increase His control over world affairs. Egypt’s pharaoh in the days of Moses was set up in place in order to fight the battle with Moses which pharaoh was made to lose in order for God to take back title to His people Israel. “Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.” (Romans 9:17) Pharoah (satan’s servant) would be made to oppose God until pharaoh had lost; God wouldn’t let pharaoh turn away from his evil; He hardened pharaoh’s heart; and Israel was set free. Likewise in the end-times God will cause satan and his servants to continue in the conflict until God has won the victory: that is, He takes back title of ownership of His people Israel. Satan’s servants are fighting in this battle and will do so until they are defeated, and satan and his servants cannot prevent God winning this victory, and satan and his servants losing!